


Proud to Love.

by reidbyers



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:24:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reidbyers/pseuds/reidbyers
Summary: After Spencer came out to you as bisexual, you decided he could do with being surrounded by many other people who understood how he was feeling. So when Pride month came around, there wasn’t a better time for Spencer to celebrate being himself.





	Proud to Love.

“Stop moving!” You laughed at Spencer who was wiggling in front of you, his face trying not to scrunch up as you delicately painted onto his cheek, the cold paint making him tense up. One last stroke of violet and you were finished with the rainbow, it was Spencer’s first time going to pride and you were determined to make sure he had the best time. You’d even gone out and purchased shirts for the two of you to wear.

Spencer’s shirt said “It ain’t no lie, baby I’m bi bi bi.” He didn’t understand the reference to the NSYNC song at all but put it on regardless, he looked adorable in the bright colours and now dolled up in your face paint. You weren’t used to seeing him so colourful, sometimes he’d sport a purple scarf or red sweater but all the hot pinks, blues and purples, it was a look you could definitely get used to.

“The pride flag was originally devised by Gilbert Baker, originally it had all the colours of the rainbow and also hot pink but due to fabric of that shade being unavailable at the time they removed it from the flag.” Spencer explained, before he came out he already knew a lot about queer history due to his excessive amounts of reading but afterwards he wanted to know everything that had ever happened, learn each and every name of the people who helped it be that a bisexual, autistic man could be living a normal and happy life without being in constant fear.

“Doesn’t each colour mean something?” You asked while cleaning up your paints, you had already gotten ready and put on plenty of colourful eye makeup so painting on even more might be a little too much. However you were going to pride, everyone was going to be done up to the nines, it wasn’t like anyone was going to point out you were wearing too much makeup.

“Life, healing, sunlight, nature, art, harmony and spirit.” Spencer stood up from the seat beside the window and looked outside, people were already starting to gather outside on the streets and the parade had even started yet. He was excited but also a little nervous, he wanted so badly to feel at home but he was worried that things would become overwhelming. You sensed his hesitation and stopped cleaning up to instead go stand behind him, looking down at the people below.

“What are you thinking?”

“Did you know that the first gay pride was actually an protest, back in the 40s and 50s people used it as a way to remind the government and society as a whole that LGBT+ people weren’t being treated as individuals and deserved to have equal rights.” In classic Spencer style he answered your question with a fact, technically telling you what he was thinking but actually letting any of his feelings shine through. You didn’t want to force him, thirty years was a long time to spend not being sure who you were and it wasn’t a surprise that he felt some hesitation.

“It’s still a kind of protest, people come to have fun and celebrate who they are but it’s also a big political statement. We’re all here to say we still deserve equal rights, and if you don’t give them to us right now we’re still going to thrive, we’re going to love no matter what.” You reached down and took Spencer’s hand in your own, giving it a comforting squeeze. The gesture seemed to bring some of Spencer’s fears down and you watched his body quite literally untense, he looked over to you with a fond smile. He wanted to say how thankful he was for you in taking him seriously with his sexuality, how you never made him feel ostracised or like he was just going through some confused phase. He didn’t need to say it however, you knew.

The pride parade started at 12pm so twenty minutes before you grabbed your bag which was filled with a few essentials and made your way down and out of Spencer’s apartment. Plenty of stalls had been set up with rainbow flags and other gay pride merchandise, with Spencer tight by your side you wandered around them while you waited for the parade to start, talking for a while with a gay couple dressed up in glitter and body paint. One of them mentioned how they liked Spencer’s shirt, he just blushed and mumbled that it was a music reference just in case they didn’t understand it like he had.

The parade started with the Dykes on Bikes, a group of predominantly lesbian women who kicked off the parade by driving down in their motorcycles. As you walked along the side of the road Spencer rambled on about their historical background, admiring their tough exteriors decorated with more rainbow flags. A few of the women on the back of the bikes held signs up, music beginning to blare around them as more and more people started to join in.

At some point you found yourself being offered stickers from someone dressed up in drag, their sharp features warm and inviting with all their pink blush and wild curly blonde hair. You peeled off the “Contains 100% pride” and slapped it onto your chest before then taking the sticker that read “Love is tender and knows no gender.” and sticking it onto Spencer. He had smiled and thanked the man offering them, earning him a big kiss on his cheek.

“Having fun now?” You laughed as you walked away together, Spencer looking remarkably flustered after the encounter. He just nodded his head, you noticed how he made no movement to wipe the lipstick off of his cheek. It made you happy seeing him try to be more comfortable in himself and expression of his sexuality, he wasn’t exactly the most open person especially with strangers but it was healthy for him to show some pride for who he was, even if it was only once.

Before Spencer could reply a float full of go-go dancers went past, there plenty of half naked men and woman on board dancing to the techno music being played loudly. You glanced up at Spencer who was following the float with his eyes, not looking at anyone particular but his eyes going from one person to another.

“Do you have a type when it comes to men?” You asked curiously, when it came to Spencer’s dating history you knew there were very few people and no men on that list so you wondered what he was attracted to. Was it men like himself, tall and lean with a thing for all thing nerdy or did he like buffer men, somewhere in the middle perhaps?

“Are you alright with me talking about that?” Spencer tore his eyes away from the float to look back to you, he wouldn’t mind hearing you talk about girls you found attractive but because of the way society viewed men liking men, it just felt different.

“Spencer, I don’t think you’re going to run away with some guy just because you can like them. I know I’m quite the catch.” You bumped your hip against his playfully before looking to your side, a group of PFLAG supporters (Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays) all holding up signs with support for their the LGBT community and their loved ones involved. You wondered if Spencer would ever his mother he was bisexual, it didn’t seem like the thing he would want to bring up especially with her memory already deteriorating. Still, you didn’t want him to end up regretting not letting her know everything about him there was to know, it was a discussion for another day though.

“I’m not sure, I don’t know if I have a type. People’s minds are more attractive to me than physical characteristics.” He explained, feeling yet another overwhelming sense of relief at how wonderfully you were taking everything. That answer was good enough for you and you just nodded for head, getting distracted by another float filled with drag performers going past.

The rest of the day was filled with colour and love, you didn’t tell Spencer you noticed but he got a little teary eyed at the sight of all the children who were out celebrating with their families. Little boys who loved boys, girls who loved girls, trans children whose parents were protesting for the right for their children to use the bathroom they wanted and the pronouns they needed. He wished that when he was little and realised things about himself he had someone to support and believe in him, that was in the past though and he chose to instead just be thankful that times were changing.

When you finally arrived back at his apartment you were both covered in glitter, lipstick and your bag had become filled with countless goodies you had both bought and been given. Your favourite thing was two little bracelets you had been given by an elderly man, Spencer had sparked up a conversation with him and you learnt that he had been going to pride since he was a little boy when they first started. He told you about all the prejudice and hatred he’d been handed as a gay man but it was worth it if this new generation didn’t have to go through it.

After a day full of life and dancing you were both too exhausted to get changed out of your clothes so you fell asleep on your bed, still in the clothes from the day and got multicolored glitter all over the sheets. You fell asleep in Spencer’s arms, hoping he knew how loved he was and how happy you were that he slowly was becoming proud to be who he was.


End file.
